Lowe’s shopper boycotts chain after ‘being spooked by extra self-checkout device’ – he ‘holds his nose to go to rival’

A LOWE’S shopper has refused to return to his local store because he’s fed up with being snooped on.

The irate customer declared that he’s now switched to a major rival instead of spending money at the DIY chain.

Getty

Getty

The man urged Lowe’s to remove the self-checkout option from its outlets.

He also said he was relieved to have a range of alternatives – such as Home Depot – when it came to spending his cash on home improvements.

“Could you get them to get rid of self-checkout and the cameras there too?” the man asked Lowe’s last Monday.

“I haven’t been back to Lowe’s since I saw the cameras.

“Home Depot is almost as bad, but no visible cameras at self-checkout so I go there instead. Thank God I have a choice.”

His plea comes weeks after a report warned that shoppers are indulging in “five-finger discounts” amid economic difficulties.

And, while stores are trying to combat theft, deterrents such as increased CCTV coverage are doing little to discourage consumers, according to a new survey from LendingTree , a personal finance site.

“Nearly one in five (18%) Americans say today’s anti-theft technology doesn’t deter them from shoplifting,” it reported in July.

“More than one in five (23%) Americans admit to shoplifting.

“Shoplifters are most likely to hide the items on their bodies (55%) or in purses or bags (36%), while 25% are bold enough to walk out with their loot in plain sight.”

And 90% of recent shoplifters said they were motivated to do so because of inflation and the current economy.

The survey also found that shoplifters are more likely to take from chain stores (52%) than local stores (28%).

The most common items shoplifters target are food and nonalcoholic drinks (45%), followed by clothing, accessories or jewelry (39%), and makeup or cosmetics (21%).

Latest self-checkout changes

Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.

Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.

Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.

While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.

One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.

However, that test run has been phased out.

At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.

Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.

As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.

Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines.

When it comes to getting away with the crime , 48% of shoplifters admitted they had been caught red-handed.

“Men (26%) are more likely to have shoplifted than women (20%),” the report added.

“Those with children younger than 18 (27%) and millennials ages 28 to 43 (26%) are among the most likely groups to snatch something.”

“Lots of people are struggling in the face of still-rising prices, and they’re going to somewhat desperate measures to help them get by,” said personal finance expert Matt Schulz.

“With inflation stubbornly sticking around, that’s not likely to change soon.”

Lending Tree did a similar survey last year, and found that 15% of self-checkout users have purposely stolen an item.

SECURITY MEASURES

Rampant stealing has prompted retailers to beef up security and turn to other drastic anti-theft measures in order to try to stop thieves.

Retailers have been implementing increased security measures as they face alarming levels of theft thanks to self-checkout.

A Dollar General shopper was shocked to spot a security tag on his shopping basket.

And Walmart shoppers have been raging over the store’s strict cart and receipt-checking procedures.

The 2023 National Retail Security Survey found that theft-related losses increased from $93.9billion in 2021 to $112.1billion in 2022.